Fooling Around
by Ethereal Euphoria
Summary: Fred Weasley, after surviving the war, was determined to enjoy every pleasure the world had to offer. And boy, did the world have plenty of witches to offer. He wanted and offered no commitments, just fun. After a former fling and neighbor leaves him, a new tenant moves in. Someone really should have told him that sometimes fooling around lead to falling in love. Alternate Universe


Disclaimer: All characters, settings, etc. that are recognizable are the properties of their respective owners. I am not associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. Original characters and plot lines are Ethereal Euphoria's property. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 1

It was way too early for him to be awake. Especially since it was a Sunday. Fred always slept in on Sundays. Well, if he was honest with himself, this was due to his _lack _of sleep the previous Saturday night. But who could blame him? After his near-death experience at the Battle of Hogwarts, he vowed to never deny himself from simple pleasures of life. And boy, did he get his share of pleasures.

"Hey, baby." a sleepy voice greeted him.

He turned to his left and found a voluptuous brunette pressing herself to him.

"Hey." he grinned cheekily as events of the previous night replayed in his mind.

"So do you want some breakfast? I can cook some for you, if you want." she told him as she fluttered her eyelashes.

While breakfast in bed did sound appealing, Fred usually preferred his _friends_ to find other plans for any meals. He didn't want them to get the wrong idea. At 20 years old, he had no intention in becoming involved with _anyone._

"Actually, I have some work I need to get done at the shop. But I'll owl you for another get-together soon, yeah?" He said as he clambered off the bed.

After grabbing some fresh clothes from his closet, he turned to her and said, "You know your way out, right? Last night was fun. See you around."

He left the room before she could protest. It wasn't like he hadn't done the exact same thing to her before. The voluptuous brunette, otherwise known as Kate, was his next-door-neighbor at his apartment complex. They had previous trysts before. It had started the day she moved in, three months prior. He quickly used his Weasley charm to get into her knickers before she even got to use her new shower _alone_. Now _that_ was a fun time.

After getting cleaned up, he left the loo and found her fully dressed and seated at his couch in the common area.

"Fred, we need to talk." she said, her head bowed low.

_Uh-oh._ She didn't take the hint.

"What about? I really am running late, you know."

She looked him in the eye and let out a breath. "Fred, I think I'm starting to fa-"

He cut her off. "Kate, I know what you're trying to say. I mean, it's not like I haven't heard it before. But I told you before any of this happened: I don't _do_ relationships; I don't _want_ a girlfriend. I get if you don't want to have another shag if it's too hard for you. I know I'm being a jerk for saying this, but I did warn you. I think you should leave."

He had said those lines so many times, he had them memorized. Well, if you counted his handfuls of trysts as 'many'.

She looked at him, shock in her eyes, before nodding and running for the door.

As it shut with a loud bang, he sighed. Another one bites the dust. He looked at his wrist watch and noticed that it was still early enough that he could grab some breakfast at George's place. With a sidestep, he apparated to his twins' flat.

"Oy! Georgie!" he called into the kitchen.

"Hello, Freddie, old bean." his twin greeted him with a huge smile on his face.

"Got any food left?"

George just laughed and handed him a plate of blueberry waffles.

"Knew you'd come by today. Got Angie to make extra. Bit early though, aren't ya?"

Fred shrugged before taking a seat on one of the island counters of the kitchen.

George's flat was located right above 93 Diagon Alley, their shop, and had actually belonged to both of them during the early days of WWW. After George and Angelina got serious and wanted to move in with each other, as well as Fred complaining that the birds he picked up at pubs were sometimes too sloshed to apparate without getting splinched (which was such a mood killer, by the way), the three had agreed that Fred moving to an apartment complex nearer to the pubs was a brilliant idea. That way, George and Angie got their flat share, and Fred could simply walk his dates home muggle-style.

"Had to leave the apartment before Kate got the idea to come back and try to patch things up."

George shook his head. "I don't know how you can handle being with another bird _again_. Didn't you just pick up that other one last week at The Bludger?"

Fred swallowed a mouth full of waffles before answering. "That was a one-night girl. Thanked her for the shag and sent her on her way. Kate lives at the apartment next door to mine. A bit harder to send away. And it seems last night was our last tryst. Went out with a bang though, if you know what I mean." he waggled his eyebrows at his twin.

George pretended to gag.

"What's this about Katie?" a voice interrupted them.

Angelina walked up to them and hugged George from behind.

"Not Katie, Merlin." Fred laughed. "_Kate_. My neighbor. We shagged, she got too attached, its over."

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Not another one."

"What can I say? I'm irresistible."

"At least this one lasted a few months." George commented as he took a sip of pumpkin juice.

Angelina turned to Fred and asked, "So why _did_ you let it go on for so long? You usually keep girls for a week or two at most."

Fred merely shrugged. "She was neighbor. It was convenient. Wicked in bed too."

After another disapproving look from Angelina, Fred looked away as the two proceeded to greet each other 'Good Morning'. Again. Even after having already spent the past three hours with each other.

The funny thing about the war is that it showed Fred and George how truly different they actually were to one another. By the end of it, Fred was just so sick of taking too many things seriously that he became increasingly spontaneous. He took each day as it came, never taking for granted the _opportunities_ that presented themselves. Mostly in the form of girls. George, on the other hand, realized that he suddenly had a _future_. And after being so uncertain if he was going to live or die for so long, he gravitated towards having stability in his life. Which came in the form of one girl: Angelina.

The twins weren't the only ones who had undergone changes after the war.

The first thing that the Savior of the Wizarding World, Harry Potter, did was to help war-orphans from suffering what he had suffered after the previous war. He bought the Shrieking Shack and renovated it to become an Orphanage. He renamed it "Marauders Den". Since Hogwarts was temporarily closed (the castle needed a serious warding overhaul, as well as renovations for towers, bridges, and rooms that basically blew up during the war), Harry had the extra time to search for children below eleven that needed his help. He was working closely with the Improper Use of Magic Office at the Ministry to try to find them by tracking underage magic-usage throughout the UK. So far, there were eight children he had been able to rescue (whose families came from both the light and dark factions of the war), not including his own godson, Teddy Lupin.

Ron Weasley, his brother, was still lazing around the Burrow, debating whether he would try out for Professional Quidditch or go into the Auror Program. The trouble was, even if he was a war hero, the Auror Program required that he graduate from Hogwarts with a minimum of 5 NEWTS in Defense, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures. Which meant he had to wait for it to open once more and finally go through his seventh year of schooling. His little brother was still on the fence about it, but everyone knew that he was still a bit guilty about abandoning Harry during the Horcrux Hunt. He would probably join the Aurors.

Hermione Granger, on the other hand, was already one of the heads for the Hogwarts Renovations. She split her time between helping Headmistress McGonagall with Hogwarts, and Harry with taking care of and looking for more orphans. She was all set to enroll once Hogwarts would re-open. Which wouldn't take long now, especially since she had been working non-stop for a year already. There were already whispers of the famed school opening its doors in the coming September.

The rest of his brothers went on with their usual lives. Bill was still a curse-breaker for Gringotts, however he was now based in England instead of Egypt. Fleur, his wife, was currently taking care of their first daughter Victoire but had plans of returning to work for Gringotts once Victoire was old enough. Charlie went right back to Romania to chase dragons, which still infuriated his Mum to no end. Fred reckoned Charlie actually had a girl over there though. No way he spent all those years without meeting anyone. Percy was back in the Ministry and was Undersecretary for Minister Shacklebolt. The Ministry needed an overhaul too and Percy's obsessive compulsive need to be organized shined like no-other Ministry lackey's.

Ginny, his only sister, technically only needed a few more months of her sixth year before being able to join Harry, Ron, and Hermione for their seventh year. She had taken at-home courses, care of McGonagall, to catch up. She was also practicing like crazy every chance she could get so that she could try and join the Hollyhead Harpies as Chaser. It was her only real interest when it came to her career-path.

So life went on. Everyone had started picking up the pieces left by the war and were building their lives from the ground up.

Fred returned home to his apartment that night, after a very productive day of product brain storming with George, to find that apartment 3A's (Kate's apartment) door was wide open and was full of boxes.

His curiosity got the better of him, even though his mind reminded him that he had just broken 3A's heart earlier that morning and it was not a good idea to show his face to her so soon, and knocked on the door.

A girl with long, shapely legs had her back turned to him as she was bending over and seemed to be struggling with some things inside a large box.

"Kate?" he called out.

"Sorry, Kate moved out this morning. I just moved in." she called, not even turning around. "Hang on a second."

Fred looked around 3A and memories of his escapades with the former tenant replayed in his mind. He would miss Kate. And her rather cute bum. Kate was also rather flexible. Which came in handy during their first shower together when she had first moved in. He turned to look at the new 3A and couldn't help but appreciate the skin he managed to see. She was dressed in some jean shorts and a white shirt. And was still bent over enough that he had a full view of her very own cute bum. She was wearing such short shorts too, bless her. He noticed that the kitchen was nowhere near unpacked and he grinned. Well what do you know. Another _opportunity_.

After taking another second to admire her features, he cleared his throat again. "I'm from 3B actually, so I guess I'm your neighbor. On behalf of the whole building, I'd like to give you a proper welcome. Seeing as your kitchen isn't quite ready yet, would you like to join me in my apartment for a snack?"

The girl finally stood and began to turn. "That's very sweet of you, but- Fred!"

Fred practically felt his jaw hit the floor. "Hermione?!"

She laughed and ran towards him. She gave him a great big hug.

"I didn't know you lived in _this_ apartment building! Right next to mine too! What a coincidence!" she smiled at him.

He grinned back at her. Oh well, at least she wasn't a bird with a hot body and a paper-bag worthy face. Besides, just because she was his brothers best friend didn't mean he couldn't _look_ at her. Especially those legs.

"I thought you were living with Harry at the Marauders Den?" he asked.

She plopped herself on an overstuffed red couch in her common room and patted the seat next to her. He took it. She summoned two bottles of butterbeer from one of the boxes and gave him one.

"Harry doesn't live there anymore. He put Andromeda in charge, and a few of other of-age orphans started helping with the cause. Harry's cleaning out the old Headquarters now. Plans on making it into a nice home for himself. Besides! Hogwarts is opening this September." she beamed.

He whistled at her, impressed. "Wow. That was quick. You sure do know how to get a project moving."

"Well, it isn't really finished yet. The dormitories, in particular, aren't suitable for habitation yet. That's why for now Hogwarts is opening as a day school. It's the main reason I rented this apartment actually." she smiled as she took a sip. "There's an access point being built near here. We still worry about security, you know. So we can't just let people floo or apparate in or out of the school."

Fred leaned back on the couch and took a huge gulp of his butterbeer. "What about Muggle-borns? How will they get to school?"

Hermione got a twinkle in her eye. "A Knight is being rented out this year for them. A kind of mini-Hogwarts Express if you will."

He guffawed as he mentally pictured muggle-born first years basically riding a rollercoaster to school everyday.

"Who in Merlin's name came up with that?" he laughed.

"Luna Lovegood has surprisingly simple yet effective ideas." she laughed with him.

The two fell into amicable chatter, simply catching up. After a while, a comfortable silence washed over them. By then, they had each consumed a considerable number of bottles of butterbeer.

"So Fred, why were you looking for Kate? You know, she did speak to me before she left. Warned me off from, and this is a direct quote, 'the playboy from 3B'. Anything I should know about?" she teased.

He took another large gulp from his butterbeer before giving her a trademark lopsided grin. "Since we go way back, I'll be honest with you. We had intimate relations which ended when she wanted more."

He was rather surprised when she just gave him an understanding look. He expected her to start shouting at him or reprimanding him like the Prefect he remembered her as in Hogwarts. Or at least act as if he just gave an experimental candy to another first year (which he did often).

She took another sip of her own butterbeer before commenting. "As long as you were honest with her from the beginning about not wanting a relationship, I don't see why it's any fault of yours."

He acted out a rather large and exaggerated gasp. "What's this? Hermione Granger actually _agreeing_ with something that is in line with rather questionable morals?"

It was her turn to laugh at him.

"It's not that I _agree_ with what you did. But she knew what she was getting into from the get-go. I know you. You wouldn't do that to a girl without her knowing where she truly stood. Besides, I'm quite sure she enjoyed herself if it got so far as to her getting feelings for you." she shrugged.

He gave her another once-over, glancing a bit more at her legs. "So where do you stand on this?"

"On what?"

"Intimate relations without commitment." he glanced at her face to check if she would be disgusted by what he was asking her.

She replied, without missing a beat. "Honestly, I don't want a commitment right now either. But I don't know about casual sex. I guess I'd have to see. It's certainly not something I thought of trying a year back." she laughed.

He grinned and turned on the good ol' Weasley charm. He put down his bottle on the floor and moved slowly. He traced his fingers on her arm, going down until he was holding her hand. She glanced at him and he looked her right in the eye. He saw what was unmistakably a beer goggle look. Tipsy enough to be less inhibited, but sober enough not to blame him for her actions. He slowly moved closer to her, practically putting her on his lap. When his face was an inch away from hers, he saw her eyelids flutter. A good sign. He placed his lips a few centimeters closer to hers. He was so close that he felt, more than heard, her sudden intake of breath as he did so.

"Can you picture you and me? Right now. No commitments."

She stared at him wide-eyed. His heart was beating quite fast as it worked hard at delivering blood at a certain part of his anatomy. After a moment, she moved closer to him. Another good sign. His heart beat a bit faster. She released a breath directly on his lips before bursting into laughter.

"Nice one, Fred." she said as she leaned away. "I don't think we should get involved like that."

He leaned back into the sofa. "I, for one, think it's a great idea." he grinned.

She shook her head as she chuckled once again. "I think you've had one too many butterbeers. Besides, it's getting late. I still have a bed to unpack."

"You can share mine, if you'd like." he said, suggestively.

She smiled at him before standing. She walked to the door and opened it. "That's quite enough from you for one night. I'll see you around, yeah?"

He finished off what was left of his butterbeer before heading out. Before he completely exited her apartment, he turned to her and grinned. "Just so you know, that offer still stands."

He winked as he closed the door behind him.

Laying alone in his bed that night, he couldn't help but grin. In truth, he wasn't _that_ interested in bedding Hermione Granger. But he did thoroughly enjoy teasing her. He knew she could give as much as she could take, and was witty enough to keep him on his toes. And she wasn't terrible to look at. In fact, a mellowed out Hermione Granger was quite becoming when he compared it to Prefect Granger or War Heroine Granger.

_'_Besides', he thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep, 'she does have a cute bum.'


End file.
